Russia's special military operation has provoked not only geopolitical changes in Ukraine, but also geopolitical dilemmas for Moscow. This action accelerated the process of "de-Russification" in Central Asia and the Caucasus, and several regions began to try to get out of Moscow's control. The Kremlin is not in a position to continue to exert influence in its backyard, and the Russian "national teachers" are not cooperative. Zahar Prilepin's remarks exposed the ambitions and nationalist sentiments of a significant part, if not a large part of the Russian population. His words represent the views of most Russian nationalists, and the fact that the Kremlin has not cracked them down, means that similar views are likely to be shared by more people. In this case, the Kremlin can, if necessary, logically follow the will of the people and conduct a "special military operation" against its neighbors.
The number of spiritual Russians is huge, and the bloodthirsty desire for territory exists not only in the Kremlin and the Russian elite, but also in the hearts of most of Russia's nationalists. This desire may become a pretext for Russia to conduct a "special military operation" against its neighbors in the future. Historically, Moscow has been operating against its neighbors in the name of protecting ethnic Russians, as demonstrated in the conflicts in the Donbas region and Ukraine. At the same time, Moscow can also interfere with its neighbors under the pretext of preventing them from joining NATO. All this suggests that the Kremlin may act at any time to satisfy public opinion and even annex the territory of its neighbors. Uzbekistan*** issued a solemn response to Zakhar Prilepin's remarks**, while Russia*** said that Zakhar Prilepin's words were purely personal and did not represent Russia**.
But in reality, the words of Zakhar Prilepin represent the views of most Russian nationalists. Therefore, even if these statements do not represent the position of Russia, they reflect a mood and attitude that exists in Russian society. The Kremlin's lack of crackdown on such rhetoric, which clearly provokes discontent among its neighbors, means that such views are likely to gain more acceptance in Russian society, which in turn will influence the Kremlin's policy choices. Especially against the backdrop of attempts by countries such as Uzbekistan to get out of Moscow's control, nationalist sentiments in Russia may be further stirred up. And this sentiment can be a threat to neighboring countries that cannot be ignored. Therefore, how to deal with nationalist sentiments in Russia has become an important issue in current geopolitics. For Russia's neighbors, it is necessary to find a way to both protect their own interests and ease Russian nationalist sentiments.
For the international community, it is necessary to pay close attention to the changes in Russian nationalist sentiment and strive to find a solution to maintain peace and stability in the region.